Facebook 'tricking' users to support Internet.org?

New Delhi: Days after Facebook Inc launched its Internet.org platform in India, social media giant has reportedly started promoting an ad which somehow 'tricks' users to show a virtual support for the platform.

With over 1.44 billion monthly active users, the company is making all efforts to get users onboard after it faced criticism for Internet.org.

The advertisement says, "We must ‘get all of India on the Internet’ and hence everyone has access to education, news, jobs and so on online."

The platform, unveiled on Monday, will be open to all developers who meet certain guidelines, including content being built for browsing on both feature and smartphones and in limited bandwidth scenarios.

The move comes amid growing debate in India, home to the world's third-largest population of Internet users, over free access and net neutrality in the country.

"We've heard the debate about net neutrality in India and have been tracking it," Chris Daniels, vice president of product for Internet.org, said.

"The principles of neutrality must co-exist with programs that also encourage bringing people online," Daniels said, highlighting that Internet.org was open to mobile operators and involved no payments, either to or from the developers.

Facebook partnered with Reliance Communications to launch Internet.org in India in February. But a number of e-commerce firms and content developers pulled out of the service subsequently as activists claimed it violated principles of net neutrality - the concept that all websites on the internet are treated equally.

Facebook has launched the service in nine countries, including in India, bringing over 8 million people online, said Daniels, who was in India to speak with partners and operators.

The Internet.org application offers free access to basic internet services on mobile phones, as well as access to Facebook's own social network and messaging services.